The suffering of the holy martyr Emilian and others with him.

Saint Emilian was born on August 18 in the Asian region of Armenia. His parents <unk> Christians <unk> were noble and wealthy people. They gave him to a virtuous man, a certain priest Ilarion, to study books. Having thoroughly learned the understanding of books and having come of age, Emilian led a chaste, godly and pious life, diligently devoting himself to fasting, prayer and reading books and keeping his virginity intact.

And when his parents were dead, the brethren, by mutual consent, leaving their house, and their country, and their inheritance, and all the goods of this world, for love of Christ, departed from Asia into Europe, and took with them their teacher, the priest Hilarion, and came to Italy, to the city of Spoleto, where they found many Christians among the Gentiles, who lived a pure and upright life, and after their counsel they took refuge with them. Blessed Emilian was an example of holiness to all, for he was exercised in prayer and preaching the word of God day and night.

He was in Umbria, a little to the north of Spoleto, and not far from it. Then the inhabitants of that city, former Christians, and living among idolaters, like wheat among weeds, and like a lily among thorns, having learned of the life and wisdom of St. Emiliano, elected him bishop, though a man of learning, and young in years, but exceeding in wisdom and virtue the elders. They sent him to Rome to be consecrated.

When he heard of the Christian bishop Emilian, that he was turning many away from the worship of idols to Christ and abolishing pagan temples, Maximian hurried to Trebizond and, having ordered to seize the saint of God and bring him to trial, said to him: <unk> Emilian, I hear of you that you are willingly subjected to the cruel torture of our gods. If you do not wish to surrender yourself to our cruel death, then do I want to give you to the cruel torture of our gods?

"I do not worship demons", answered the holy bishop, "because all the pagan gods are demons, as the holy books say, and whoever worships them will inherit eternal torment in hell". At these words the ruler was enraged and ordered the saint to be beaten without mercy, and then after the beating began to mock him with words. He insulted Christ God and said that the Christian God has no power, but the gods he worships are all-powerful. Then God's holy priest said to him, "Test, if you will, and find out whose power is greater, Christ's or your helpers'?

And when the king heard this, he sent for the sick man, and brought a man who was unconscious, who had been lying in bed for a long time, and had no control over his limbs; and a great multitude of people were gathered to see the miracle that was to take place; and at the command of the ruler the priests began to pray to their gods, calling on Apollo, Zeus, Mercury, and other vain and false gods to heal the unconscious man. They prayed for a long time, but had no success, and the saint, standing aside, looked and laughed at them and their gods. Finally, Maximian commanded his wives to cease their prayers, and he turned to the bishop, and said to him, If you expect anything from the God of your Christians, you will receive it.

Then the bishop, kneeling and lifting up his hands, lifted his eyes to heaven and began to pray, saying: "Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you; do not hide your face from me... in the day when I call, you will hear me". (Psalm 101,2-3) Show yourself, Lord, to all present here, that you are the only true God, and save those who believe in you.

This miracle amazed all who saw it, and many believed in Christ. Maximian himself began to incline to faith in his heart, but the wicked priests began to persuade him not to believe, saying that this miracle was not done by the power of God, but by the magical art of Emilian, and they cried out to the ruler: <unk> Give death to this magician, so that the worship of the gods does not perish altogether. Listening to the wicked priests and giving their false words more faith than in the visible power of God, Maximian again began to persuade St. Emilian to worship idols together and said: <unk> Bring a sacrifice to the gods, knowing that many who did not obey my advice have so far perished in terrible torments. <unk> Those who have not offered sacrifices to your saints, but have now resolved not to answer to Christ, have not been able to do so.

"Tell me no more of the name of Christ", said Maximian, "but spare your youth, for terrible torments await you". "I, the servant of Christ", answered St. Emilian, "will not cease to proclaim and glorify the name of Jesus Christ openly; for Him I am ready to suffer every kind of torture and even death". Then Maximian ordered the saint to be stripped, hung on the place of torture, and his body burned with burning candles.

"My art", said the martyr, "my Christ, and if you make me suffer much more, He will give me even more patience and show me even greater power". Then Maximian ordered the tin pot to be melted and the martyr thrown into it. But Christ again appeared to his servant and, taking him by the hand, entered with him into the pot, and the fire immediately went out, the pot disintegrated and burned, but the saint remained unharmed. This caused amazement among the rulers and all who were under him, but they did not recognize the power of God in it.

Then Maximian ordered that a large stone be tied to the neck of the holy martyr and thrown into the river near the city, which was called the Clytemnestra. But here also Christ appeared to St. Emilian and, as once to the Apostle Peter, took him by the hand and led him from the depths of the water to the shore. The soldiers brought the saint back to the ruler and told him about the miracle that had taken place.

And on that day a thousand men believed in Christ, and Maximian, in a great rage against the people, sent armed soldiers against them, and commanded them to slay those who glorified Christ. Thus a thousand believers of both sexes and of all ages were slain, and on the command of the enraged ruler, the beasts were also cut down, but they did not harm the martyr.

But when, on his command, the holy martyr, brought from the dungeon, was bound to this wheel and rocked from the mountain, at the same moment the Lord who appeared to the saint untied and took him from the wheel, and the rocking wheel wounded and killed many who were under the pagan mountain. After this the holy martyr was again put in prison. Meanwhile, Maximian, learning about the two brothers of St. Emilian, Dionysius and Hermipe, and their teacher Hilarion, sent soldiers to search for them, because they were hiding out of fear. When they were found and brought to the wheel, where he ordered them to be put in the same prison, there was St. John.

But when the latter, compelling them to worship idols, threatened them with torment, the Lord Christ appeared to them to strengthen them, and at the same time an earthquake occurred, and the idols fell from their places and broke into pieces. So the saints, on the ruler's order, were cruelly beaten and finally beheaded. Thus they received the crowns of martyrdom promised to them by the Lord.

"Torturer, you tell a lie: they did not deny Christ, but laid down their lives for Him. Yet you were right when you said that you sent them to another city, for by killing them you did send them to the heavenly city to receive honours from the King of glory, Christ, for Whom they suffered. At these words Maximian was enraged and sentenced St. Emilian to be cut to pieces with the sword. After this sentence the saint, accompanied by a large crowd of people, was taken out of the city to be executed at a distance of one yard to a place called Carpio.

And when the martyr heard it, he knelt down, and began to pray not only for them, but for all men, and a voice from heaven told him that his prayer was heard, and that he was called to the mountain monasteries. And when he heard it, the holy martyr was filled with unspeakable joy. He wanted to leave his body sooner and live with Christ; but he had a desire to achieve this unusual, but martyrdom death, he prayed to the Lord that He would give him to die by the sword. And behold, the head of the altar was cut off, and his tongue was bloodied. And so many miracles were wrought by the bishop and many martyrs in the place of Christ.

They wrapped the body of the holy martyr in clean linen, anointed with perfumed oil, and buried him there. After the persecution of Christians ended, the faithful solemnly carried the remains of the saint into the city and laid them in a holy place, glorifying Christ Jesus, to whom be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit now and from us, forever and ever. Amen.